QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CHAPTER 16: Global sporting events Practice questions - text book page 201 - 202 1) Modern technologies and social media are transforming sports in the 21st century. Which one of the following choices does not offer best practice in global sports communication? a. data collection on mass sports participation. b. understanding of the current online practices. c. use of multi media such as internet, television, radio and printed publications. d. newspaper reports on smoking. Answer: d. Explanation: • Choice d. is very restricted to a specific group, whereas options a.ba. and c. have a greater global impact. 2) What was the main reason for the commercialisation of modern Olympic Games after 1980? a. all previous games were in debt. b. corporations wanted to advertise their goods. c. media wanted improved TV rights. d. finance was needed to increase security. Answer: a. Explanation: • Up until 1980 the cost of financing an Olympic Games was borne by the host city/country. • The 1976 Olympic Games took the Montreal taxpayers 30 years to clear the deficit. • In Moscow 1980, the totalitarian state of the USSR covered many of the costs. • Los Angeles 1984 was a turning point in the commercialisation of the modern Olympic Games as TV rights, commercial sponsorship and ticket sales made £222.7 million profit. 3) Which one of the following does not represent an Olympic value? a. do your best in everyday life. b. fair play. c. get on well with team members and opponents. d. win games by using various ploys and tactics. Answer: d. Explanation: • Choice d. is a definition for gamesmanship and so is not considered to be an Olympic value. 4) Which one of the following does not describe the ‘shop window’ effect? a. develops national pride. b. portrays worthiness of political systems c. empowers local residents. d. tarnishes national image through demonstrations. Answer: c. Explanation: • All but choice c. 5) Which one of the following is an example of a National Governing Body (NGB)? a. British Olympic Association. b. UK Sport. c. Lawn Tennis Association. d. International Olympic Committee. Answer: c. Explanation: • A National Governing Body is an organisation whose role is to structure an individual sport and oversee its existing and future policies. Hence, the Lawn Tennis Association is the correct answer. Answers 111 PART 6 CHAPTER 16 GLOBAL SPORTING EVENTS 6) Describe the limitations which existed in the early Modern Olympic Games. 4 marks Answer: • Early Olympians were white, middle or upper class and wealthy. • Restricted to nine events such as fencing and swimming. • Restricted to a limited number of participating Nations. For example, 13 nations in all, and nine events, such as fencing, athletics and swimming in 1986 in Athens. • Women were not allowed to compete in 1896. • In the 1900 Paris games there were 997 athletes of which 22 were women who took part in a very restricted programme of five events including tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf. • Limited funds and no sponsors. Competitors paid for their travel and accommodation. 7) Discuss the characteristics of World games, and explain how participation in such a games will affect the competitor. 8 marks Answer 2 marks for 2 of: Characteristics of World games: • Multi-sport. • Single sport. • Usually involves the best competitors, the elite. • From around the World. 2 marks for 2 of: Such games may be: • Multi-sport potentially involving all countries, for example, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and the Paralympic Games. • Single-sport potentially involving all countries, for example, the Football FIFA World Cup, the World Athletics Championships, the World Hockey Championships, and the World Badminton Championships. 4 marks for 4 of: Competitors are: • Motivated by high competitive drive (i.e. the will to be the best - intrinsic motivation). • Able to meet personal goals - to be number one in the world! • Able to develop a career and to gain recognition or sponsors - extrinsic motivation (rewards). • Inspired by role models. • Encouraged by peer or family. • Opportunity, pride or satisfaction to represent his or her own country. • Opportunity to perform at the highest level. 112 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 8) In the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games it was left up to the politicians to decide whether or not to send National teams to these Olympic Games. Discuss arguments for and against a boycott of these games. 8 marks Answer: 4 marks for 4 of: Arguments for: • For example, In Moscow 1980, the boycott reaction was due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. • Countries can prevent their teams participating in sports events held by repressive regimes. • Jimmy Carter, US president, presented a united front resulting from the US Olympic team boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. • This action enhanced the profile of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. • Boycotting highlights human rights abuses and encourages reform. • Repressive regimes do not represent Olympic values such as friendship and respect. 4 marks for 4 of: Arguments against: • Boycotts do not affect political change. • Sport can build bridges between nations. • The Olympic values of excellence ‘do your best’ in sport and life, friendship for a better and more peaceful world and respect for others, can be an example to politicians who govern repressive regimes such as the former Soviet Union. • Sports reflect high standards of sportsmanship resulting in good lines of communication that can often be beneficial in overcoming political and religious barriers. • Athletes dedicate years of hard training and sacrifices to compete in an Olympic Games. • While sport has a strong national and representative element - it is usually every top athletes’ ambition to represent his country - it is also individual and personal. • It would be very difficult to achieve an effective ban across all sports. • History also tells us that boycotts at the Olympics have had minimal impact. • It is the innocent, hard-working sportsmen who suffer instead of the politicians. 9) State three ideals that the Olympics aim to promote. 3 marks Answer: 3 marks from 3 of: • Fair play. • Cultural exchange. • Personal excellence. • Sport as education. • Mass participation. • International understanding. Answers 113 PART 6 CHAPTER 16 GLOBAL SPORTING EVENTS 10) A Level. In 1896 the modern Olympic Games were established around the principle of the ‘amateur ideal’. Discuss whether this principle is still relevant to Olympic performers in the twenty first century. 20 marks Answer: • De Coubertin had strong views on amateurism. • He modelled his views from the values of English public school system, such as fair play and sportsmanship. • The principle of the amateur ideal primarily means the love of sport and so competitors took part because of their love and enjoyment of their sport. • Elite class and social background of early Olympians meant that money was not an issue. • Elite athletes were able to pay their own way. No funding available from media or commercial sponsorship. • De Coubertin chose well-established sports to make up the Olympic programme, ignoring professional sports that were in the minority at the turn of the twentieth century. • There was an upper class bias throughout the early modern Olympic Games. • An increase in nations and athletes from different cultural backgrounds began to dilute this influence as the twentieth century developed. • This transition reflected the change in society and the growth of professional sports outside the Olympics. • 1980s saw the rise in the commercial nature of the Games. Elite performers became stars and sponsors increasingly became interested in sport. For example, Carl Lewis who won nine Olympic gold medals between 1984 and 1988. • For example, state sponsored amateurs in USSR and East Germany and college amateurs with the American collegiate system. • Sponsors and television rights became the biggest influence on the Games. • In 1992, USA basketball dream team broke the taboo of professional athletes in the Games. • Higher levels of performance have meant a need for full-time athletes. • The Olympic Games of the twenty-first century now fully supports the idea of professionalism. The Games were now open but the majority of performers remain amateur or rely on state and or lottery funding. • Boundaries are constantly being stretched through sponsorship and funding. • But the concept of sportsmanship has been replaced by gamesmanship. • And so some athletes will do anything to win (win-at-all-costs), including tampering with equipment and taking performance- enhancing drugs. • However, most of today’s athletes will still have that love and desire to compete and demonstrate the honour that comes with competing for one’s country. • Thus retaining some aspects of the amateur ideals. 11) a) Identify three goals of the Olympic movement that together define Olympism. 3 marks Answer: Based on the amateur philosophy of sport. 3 marks for 3 of: • Olympism exalts and combines a balance of amateur philosophy than brings together the whole body, will and mind. • To provide opportunities for personal excellence and enjoyment. • To develop an Olympic spirit of respect, fair play and sportsmanship. • To provide opportunity for all to take part without discrimination i.e. mass participation, accessible to all no matter race, colour or creed. • To promote International understanding and peace. • To enable cultural exchange/education. b) Suggest two ways in which the Olympic ideal is no longer apparent today. 2 marks Answer: 2 marks from 2 of: • The decline in the amateur philosophy and the concept of fair play and participation over ‘winning-at-all-costs’. • Often fair play over-ridden by gamesmanship and cheating. • With many of today’s athletes having professional status. • The banning of nations/teams from the Games due to events such as State sponsored cheating/drug programmes and political human rights interference. 114 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 12) Describe three functions of the British Olympic Association (BOA).